Signal attachment for rural mailboxes



@0&0 49 i949.. R, c, YoUNG 1483,92

SIGNAL ATTACHMENT FOR RURAL MAILBOXES n Filed June '24, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Oct. 4, ld-9 SIGNAL ATTACHMENT FOR RURAL 'l MAILBOXES Raymond C; Young, Manitowoc, Wis. l y Application .lune 24, 1948, Serial No. 35,0021 `V t 2 Claims.

This inventionrelates to a mail box signal and is particularly directed to a signalling device for rural mail boxes. l

Various attempts have been made to provide a signalling device for rural mail boxes but these attempts have not been wholly satisfactory as they resulted'in damaging the mail box as they required holes to be drilled for bolts or otherwise required altering the mail box and, in addi-- tion, they have resulted in rather expensive anni. complicated mechanisms which usually could not be readily installed by the average person or user.

This invention is designed to overcome the above noted defects and objects of this invention are to provide a mail box signal which is extremely simple in construction', which is cheap to manufacture, and which does not require thedrilling of any holes in the standard mail box but which. instead, may be easily applied by anyone without requiring any material degree of skill.

Further objects are to provide a mail. box signal which automatically displays 'the signal or flag whenever themailman opens the door of the box to deposit mailand vwhich'is so made thatit does not interfere or hamper thev mailman in manner. p Y

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective viewlor" the front end of a rural mail box showing the signalling means attached thereto and in nonsignalling position.

Figure 2 is av View corresponding to Figure l showing the signallingmeans in signalling position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view with parts of the supporting member and rural mail box section.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that a rural mail box has been indicated and cornprises a housing l and a door 2 which is pivoted in the usual manner, not shown, adjacent its lower portion to the housing l. The housing and door are provided with fastening means wi ch consist of an upper strap mem er attached to the top of the housing I and a strap member al attached to the door 2. These strap members which constitute the fastening means of the usual construction and are arranged to temporarily hold the door closed.

The signalling device comprises a channel.- shaped supporting member 5 which is provided with a pair of inwardly-turned lip portions arranged to pass below the marginal edges of the upper strap 3, which strap is, as stated, attac ed to the housing I. The channel-shaped supporting member 5Vis provided with a slotted or out out portion 'I adjacent its forward end ,to allow a considerable amount `oi freedom' oryield for the front end of thesupporting member This front end ofthe supporting member is provided with a bolt or screw 8 which extends through the side walls of the channel-shaped supporting mem.- ber 5 and has its threaded endreceived by anut c 8'. The constructiony is such vthat in Vapplying the device, the supporting member 5 is positioned as shown inFigurejs land =2 and the bolt or screw 8 is tightened and thus locks the fingers S'beneath the upperustrap, In view `of `the fact l that theupper strap?, is-flat and that the adjacent Vportionofthe-housing I is rounded as shown rnostv clearly in Figure 3, it is apparent that the lingers 5 can readily Aenter thev space between the marginal vportions of ther-straps and the housing I., This arrangement, therefore, provides averysimple means ofvrigdly lattaching the 'supporting member 5 to the housing .I of the rural mail box :withoutlrequiri-ng any skill on the part of the user.A 1 i.

A signalling member .or 'signallingA ag is pivotally supported fromy the rear endl' oi the supporting member :5 by means of a pintle pin which extends through rearwardlyprojecting ears II integra1 with the supporting member 5 and Ythrough ears'or lips I2 formed integrally with the signallingilags. The ears or lips I2 are provided with rounded 'portions H3A-which freely clear the housing I when the flag rocks from its normal restrained position shown in Figure 1 to its' signalling or exposed position shown in FigureZ. The ears I2 areprovided with rectangular corner portions lid which act to arrest upward rocking motion of the flag 9 when it arrives Aat its signalling or vertical position as shown inFigure 2-b engaging the adjacent portions of the top of the housing I of the mail box.

It is to be noted that the flag 9 is urged towards an upright position by means of the spring l5 which is loosely coiled about the pintle pin which has one end bearing against the housing and the other end bearing against the iiag The nag is normally restrained against motion towards its signalling position by means of an angularly bent locking tongue or lip it which is arranged to be positioned below the inwardly directed ange ll of the door 2 when the door is closed as shown in Figure 1. When the door is pulled open by the mail man to deposit mail in the housing or body portion I, of the mail box, the

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